Control apparatus for coil winding machines



Aug. 23, 1955 w. REINERS E L CONTROL APPARATUS FOR con WINDING MACHINES Filed May 22 1951 w 5 5 7 w m m mw m w W m 2 M A /\XH M F g 2 ,A, 5 w e I 7 7 JV 4 7 2 WM w M m .0 3m A wwam I United States Patent'O CONTROL APPARATUS FOR COIL WINDING MACIDNES Walter Reiners, Waldniel, and Stefan Fiirst, Munich- Gladbach, Germany; said Fiirst assignor to said Reiners Our invention relates to automatically controlled coil winding machines and particularly to machines equipped with automatic spool-changing and thread-tying mechamsms.

The proper operation of such mechanisms depends largely upon the quality of the thread being used, a thread of uniform strength, for example, being less subject to breakage than a thread having weak spots.

It is therefore an object of the invention to make such machines capable of automatically responding to the occurrence of a given maximum of such thread faults by signalling or effecting a stop-motion control or replacing the excessively faulty thread-feeding bobbin. Another object is to automatically render the control mechanism inoperative when it fails to properly operate a number of times in excess of a predetermined maximum for reasons other than thread breakage; and it is also an object of the invention to provide a mechanism that correctively controls the winding operation in response to occurrence of an excessive number of mechanism failures and, independently thereof, also in response to occurrence of a counted number of thread faults.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken together with the accompanying drawing illustrating an embodiment of the invention.

In the drawing, a shaft 1 is fastened to a thread guide drum 2, which drives on its periphery a bobbin 3 and simultaneously guides the thread F to and fro. The thread supplied passes over a guide 8 and the successive pairs of guide support points 9 and 10. The bobbin 3 is rotatably mounted in a spool frame 4. The spool frame 4 rocks about an axis 5. On the spool frame 4 a draw rod 100 is linked on a pin 101. The extension of the draw rod 100 is constituted by a magnet core 102 which plays in an electro-magnet 103. A further extension of the draw rod 100 comprises a slide rod 104 which is supported in a slide bearing 105 and carries at its upper end a contact spring 106. The latter slides on a contact bar 107. Current is supplied to the contact spring 106 through a lead 108 which lies in the circuit of the electro-magnet 26 operative, upon energization thereof, to initiate cyclic operation of the control device 30 through movement of the magnet core 31. The control device 30 is operative during the winding operation, to effect a control operation, such as an exchange of the thread supplying bobbin, upon each occurrence of a thread break. Current is supplied to electro-rnagnet 26 by a source 21 through normally open contacts 14, 22. After the control operation the contacts 14, 22 are closed by the movement of feeler 6 upon failure of the thread F between the thread support points 9. The feeler 6 is connected with contact 14 through a rocker arm portion pivoted at point 12. The movable contact 14 is connected to the current source 21 through a flexible Wire.

The device 30 has an element 35 that moves down- 2,716,004 Ce Patented Aug. 23, 1955 wardly to release an arm portion 17 of feeler 7 to permit asensing movement of feeler 7. This release occurs for a short interval of time within the period of the control operation initiated by feeler 6. Feeler 7 has a contact 16 to cooperate with a fixed contact 16. Contacts 16 and 16' close only when the feeler 7 moves counterclockwise in response to absence of thread be tween the thread support points 10, which absence is indicative of control failures.

A circuit 20, 19 in parallel with the energization coil of electro-magnet 26 and comprising the measuring instrument 27 is provided for measuring the number of turns the control device 30 is actuated as a result of thread breakage sensed by the feeler 6. At the point 24 and the point 25 this circuit can be broken by the cut-out switch 23 when the feeler 7, responsive to control failures, closes the contacts 16, 16 so as to complete the circuit 41, 42, in which is connected the electromagnet 44. The current circuit 41, 42, fed by the source of current 43, contains the instrument 47 which registers the number of control failures and closes the current circuit 42, on the attaining of the adjustable maximum value and thereby operates the signal device 46 and the magnet 103.

When the feeler 7 feeling the thread F during the control operation closes the circuit 41, 42, the instrument 47 and the magnet 44 are energized by the current source 43. If the closing of the current circuit 41, 42 occurs frequently i. e. a greater number of times than desirable for a given amount of thread being wound, the instrument 47 reaches its maximum value and closes the current circuit 42, 45, in which the signal device 46 and the electromagnet 103 are provided. The signal 46 is thereby energized and indicates to the operator that the frequency of control in consequence of change failures at the winding point has reached a degree above the permissible average. Simultaneously, owing to the action of the electromagnet 103 on the magnet core 102, and in consequence of the connection of the spool frame 4 to the magnet core 102 through the parts 100 and 101, the bobbin 3 is lifted off the thread guide drum 2 and hence the winding point is brought to a standstill.

At the same time, the contact spring 106 is moved off the contact bar 107 and the circuit 107, 108, 26, 21, is thereby opened. Thus, when the winding point is out of action, further operation of the automatic tying and spool exchanging process is not possible. Instead of the lifting of the spool frame, as in the particular embodiment of the invention described herein, other operations, for example the bringing of the thread guide drum 2 to a standstill, the automatic replacement of the winding bobbin 3, and the like, could obviously We claim:

1. In an automatic coil winding machine, the combination of means for winding a thread, a feeler engageable with the thread and responsive to thread faults, a counting device connected with said feeler to count the number of faults and having control means responsive to a predetermined limit value of said number, and stop-motion means connected with said control means to be controlled thereby for stopping said winding means.

2. In an automatic coil winding machine, the combination of means for winding a thread, a normally active first feeler engageable with the thread to respond to thread breaks, a second feeler engageable with the thread, control means connected with said first feeler to perform a control operation upon occurrence of each thread break, said means being controllingly connected with said second feeler to temporarily release it for feeling action during said control operation whereby said second feeler responds to control failures, a counting device connected with said second feeler to count the number of said failures, and stop-motion means connectedwith said countinggdevice and, responsive tosaid number reaching a predetermined value. I

g '3. In a gcoil winding 1 machine according to claim 2, said thread winding means comprising a revolvable thread guide, a take-up sp oolmember for receiving the thread from said guide, said member being peripherally engageable with said guide to be driven thereby and being movable away from said guide for stopping the winding operation, and said stop-motion control'means being linkedrto said member for moving it away from said guide. when responding.

4. In a coil winding machine according toz claim 3, said stop-motion means having control elements interposed, between said firstfeeler" and said control means and disconnecting said first feeler from said control means when said spool member is moved away from said guide.

5. In a coil winding machine according to claim 2,

' a second counting device for counting the number of thread breaks, a circuit connecting said second counting device with said first feeler and having a normally closed 7 cut-elf switch, said switch having a releasing circuit connected with said second feeler for disconnecting said first counting device from said first feelerwhen said second feeler responds to control failure.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,017,949 Cobb Oct.22, 1935 2,051,902 Rossmann c Aug. 25, 1936, 2,134,017 Alderman Oct. 25,1938 2,460,723 Weesner Feb. 1, 1949 

